03.10.2010 Posted in Teri
My life hasn’t been giving me a lot of lemons lately…except for the store-bought variety. (We’ve been sick, sick, sick in this household…and I’ve been making about a ton of hot honey lemonade to soothe our troubled throats)…but as we were at the grocery store, yet again, purchasing lemons the old saying came to mind…”When life gives you lemons…make lemonade”.
I thought about just a few short months ago when life seemed heck-bent on pummelling me with lemons. I had been a very long time without my husband and was missing him terribly. I had scheduled myself to the point of exhaustion. My son finally hit his terrible twos. And it was the holidays…far from home…in a foreign country…and I felt alone and overworked and stressed out and…you get the idea. It was a dark time and I allowed myself to become a little sour.
Last night as I looked at my grocery sack full of lemons, and my little tow-headed boy snuggling into my shoulder for warmth (and to ward off the chills from his fever)…I thought about the things that make a bag-full of lemons into lemonaid. It’s the sweet things NOTICED that make life seem bearable when it seems that nothing is going right. Noticing the small blessings is the “spoonful of sugar” that makes even the hardest things surmountable.
My life is full of sweet little things, and I wanted to document them while I notice them…just in case it starts raining lemons again anytime soon. I’d like to have something that I can come back to…something to grab hold of…something to stir into my lemonaid at that time.
So bear with me…these are some of the wonderful things I love about life RIGHT NOW: The funny things my little guy says. Buds on the trees and bulb flowers popping out of the ground. Seeing the sun every once in a while. Circuit class (I hate it while I’m there…but I love the energy and strong muscles I feel afterwards). Sharing chocolate milk shakes with Wes…and having him offer to share a sip with me. Scripture study…especially when you get those wonderful “ah-ha” moments. Warm baths on cool nights. Reading Charles Dickens “The Life of our Lord”. Pillow fights. Photo shoots with fun, genuine people. Letters from old friends that surprise you in the mail. Watching the farmers till up the ground for spring planting…the tractors kicking up dust as they scour the fields…it makes me feel at home. Long phone conversations with my husband or sister. Making business plans for our future. Big wet kisses from Weslee. Listening about and sharing in other people’s successes (I love it when my friends and family make their dreams a reality. It gives me inspiration and hope for my own dreams). Freshly filed and painted nails (never thought that would be on my list.) Working with the young women of our church and being buoyed up by their bright-eyed enthusiasm and testimony of Christ. Warm apple-bran muffins straight from the oven. Seeing the world side-by-side with my family. Brightly colored clothing with big, bold prints (it’s like wearing sunshine…and makes up for the fact that there still isn’t much of that commodity here in England). Tons of friends to play board games with. A special niece getting married (and knowing that I get to attend that wedding! Hip, hip, Hooray!) Anticipating my brother’s first baby…and my first niece on that side of the family. (And if my husband were here right now…he’d be at the top of this list. I love having that man around! He is like the sunshine in our home. Like a bright light that makes everything more wonderful. I love everything exponentially more when he’s here to share it with me.) But, I’ll settle for being happy that this year looks like he’ll spend more of his time with us than away from us. Our ward (I’ve never felt so included/loved/inspired). Seeing my neighbors emerge from their houses every now and again now that the weather is warming. Anticipating visits from extended family. And the list could go on, and on, and on, and on…
My life is sweet. Even with Kevin gone (which he is again currently). Even being totally sick for the past week and a half. There are infinitely more things going well than are going sour. The lemonaid is sweet…sweeter than I ever could have hoped for…and it is enough.
03.06.2010 Posted in Teens
Portrait season is officially open for 2010 at Blue Rock Photography…and what a way to kick it off! Megan is a spunky young lady with an eye for fashion, makeup, and modelling. We had so much fun digging through her hamper of clothes she brought to the shoot to find fun, trendy wear and accessories for our session today. I was especially impressed with her skills at hiking around all the locations with her cute little high heels on (I would have broken my neck!) not to mention being able to navigate through the blackberry bushes out in that field without being seriously injured. (It’s official…England has A LOT of thorny, stingy, not pleasant plants). It was such a GORGEOUS day too…Weslee and I were so happy to be outside with you in the bright sunshine! Thanks for being such a trooper, Megan! I had a blast. YOU WERE AWESOME!
There were so many fabulous pictures to choose from, I didn’t know where to start. Here are a few of my faves.
I love the British lingo here. It makes me smile.
“I did it!” Feeling brave after conquering the scary blue netting ALL BY HIMSELF!
Cooking mom a “booger” at the play kitchen.
I don’t think it’s a big secret…the weather in England in the winter is pretty cruddy. It’s cold and wet and worst of all…it’s always muddy. Our favorite outdoor activities become impossibly messy. Soccer…sure, if you want to be knee deep in mud. Feed the ducks? Same problem. And…with the cold, damp weather comes our favorite seasonal gift of all…cold and flu season. It’s hit our family HARD this week. Even as I write, I feel the throb of a raw throat, the pound of my brain against my skull and I have to stop and cough every now and again. It’s better today though…I no longer have a fever…it broke sometime this morning…and my son is no longer hurling his guts out. So…things are looking brighter. Just like the weather today.
In fact, the sun and MY son both rose bright and energetic. Although I felt like death warmed over, we hobbled our way down the street to the nearby park to expend some energy and soak up the Vitamin D from the sun’s rays before it mysteriously disappeared for several more weeks. I didn’t feel much like playing today, but even sick as a dog, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to capture some pictures (I’ve sure missed that part of my life these long winter months).
And so we soaked up the sun, every ray we could lay hold of…and when our playdate was done we came home happier. He was happier because of the much needed fresh air and exercise…and I was happier because just watching him enjoy life brings me immense amounts of joy. I love this kid!
03.03.2010 Posted in Teri
All of my life I’ve dreamed of going to Switzerland. I don’t really know why. I dreamed of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate (because food is almost always on my mind…and OH! can Switzerland make chocolate!!), gorgeous snow-topped peaks, and cows everywhere (don’t ask me why). So, when Kevin told me this was our next European destination…I was, understandably, ecstatic. And when our trip turned out to include skiing in one of the most coveted locations in the Swiss Alps (in and around the Matterhorn), I could hardly sleep from excitement.
What I didn’t know and didn’t expect from Switzerland could fill a book. The mashing together of numberless cultures. (I’ve never heard so many languages on one train before in my life). The hospitality. The amazing Italian food (we were so close to Italy, we skiied from Switzerland into Italy on one particular day). The quiet serenity of the hills. And the expense (I’ve never been someplace that was MORE expensive than Zermatt. Plain oven-baked turkey lunchmeat for an after-ski sandwich snack…6 thin deli slices…7 dollars!!!)
But, what really took me back is how little pictures do the place justice. I tried and tried and tried with my camera to capture the majesty of the Matterhorn as we skiied gracefully (OK…Kevin skiied gracefully…I kind of wobbled my way down the mountain) past it, or the sheer immensity of the tree-less peaks surrounding us way above the tree line, or the quiet snooty-ness of carless Zermatt, or the mysterious glittering aqua blue of the high alpine glaciers or even the charming daily pulse of the rural families going about life in the surrounding villages. I came back with incredible pictures. But it doesn’t paint the entire canvas of our trip. Even my 10 pages of journalling as we shimmied our way down the train tracks at the end of our vacation don’t really express its entirety. The magic, I guess, will just have to live on in my memories with the scent of virgin alpine atmosphere, the feel of waist-deep snowdrifts, and the quiet crunching of bundled feet walking along the moonlit paths in the woods…and the sheer exhilaration of gliding past that old sentinel that’s watched over Switzerland for ages..the Matterhorn.
02.13.2010 Posted in Teens
I finally did it. I went out and bought a flash…and all of the gear that goes with it. To say that I was terrified to use this new equipment would be an understatement. I laughed nervously all the way to this photoshoot, even though I know Shilo and her mother well…and even though I prepared them well ahead of time that I was using new equipment that I “had no idea what to do with”. They were good sports to brave the cold February weather with me while I moved the strobe all over the place trying to find the best lighting. (To be honest…I never did quite figure it out…but got some “surprise” shots in the process…here they are). Thanks, Shilo for modeling for me…and thanks for helping me on this fun new learning adventure!
01.23.2010 Posted in Teri
OK…so it’s now officially tradition that in January, we pack up a group of ladies, cram them in a van and drive 2 1/2 hours away for sale month at the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent. This year was especially fun. We talked, cheered eachother on, shared snap peas and fresh pineapple…and just had fun being GIRLS for a day. We left at 6 am to beat the crowds…and hit almost every single pottery factory outlet in Stoke…including Burleigh, Wedgewood, Spode, Portmeirion, Aynsley…and a new find this year…Leeds Pottery. I won’t tell you how much money I spent. When I look at the figures, it’s just embarassing…especially for a tight-wad like me. But, the shelves and shelves of cute dishes in my house send my little heart all a flutter…and making brownies and serving soup has never been more fun. It’s inspiring me to get out there and schedule more dinner dates with our friends…and boy have we ever! Now if I can just find a use for my swirly-twirly Wedgewood platter….hmmm….
01.20.2010 Posted in Teri
So, it’s no secret…I took a vacation. A long one. After months of single parenting, business, and the holidays…I needed one. I haven’t even checked my emails in the past month. No facebook. No blogging. No photo editing. Nada. (If you’ve emailed me…look for a response in the next day or two). But, that doesn’t mean I’ve been lolling about the house eating bon-bons…though I have enjoyed a couple of days of that (and it was darn fun!). We’ve been out and about…sightseeing, board gaming, socializing…and just becoming “normal” human beings again. Here is a glimpse of our adventures this past month. They’ve been oh-s0-fun…but this last week I could feel the pull of real life tugging at me. It’s time to buckle up for another great year! Stay tuned!
Kevin’s mom, Carol, came to hang out with Teri and help her regain her sanity before the holidays. In mid-December, we made the trek to Leeds Castle for their holiday decor…Carol’s first castle visit ever…and then took the ferry to Europe to enjoy the German Christmas market in Aachen. The food was amazing…and we didn’t stop eating from the moment we arrived!
Teri’s whole family made the trek across the “pond” for Christmas. It was awesome to have us all squished together here in our English Cottage. So many fun memories! We took a trip to London and had a BLAST on the London Eye. We also saw the Tower of London and Big Ben…and experienced a double decker bus ride. (Not to mention we froze our tooshies off during the coldest, snowiest week we’ve ever experienced in England).
We had way too much fun watching Weslee open presents.
We took some quick family pics in Bury St. Edmunds before hitting the pub for lunch.
We took a trip to Bath. We had tea and hot chocolate at the Jane Austen Museum, toured the Roman Baths, and I even enjoyed an evening with the girls at the Thermae Spa in Bath. We had fun floating around in the thermal pools and chatting it up while Dad and Kevin shopped.
We braved the freezing rain and wind at Stonehenge.
We marvelled at the tallest spire in England at Salisbury Cathedral and learned about the signing of the Magna Carta.
It has snowed for 2 days straight now. I have NEVER seen it snow like this here…and my wardrobe can attest to that! The temperatures are below freezing, there’s ice and snow everywhere, and my Converse just weren’t up to the job of keeping my little tootsies warm today as we tromped through the frosty countryside and visited the open market in Bury St. Edmunds. We really only got to browse for 20 minutes before my feet felt like they were going to fall off. I even bought a few pairs of warm wooly socks…but my poor feet were already ice blocks and refused to warm up. We called it quits on the outdoor exploration and sat down to some fabulous burgers and my new favorite burger joint…Benson Blakes. Mmm. Mmm. Delicious!
Part of the reason my little feet might have been so cold (and my backside) is because we stopped to take a few pictures in the countryside before hitting the market. There aren’t many occasions in England when you have snow AND sunlight in the winter. My brother and sister in law were such good sports as we climbed a fence to reach this tree. We all laughed at my stupidity as I rolled around in the snow trying to find that “perfect” angle. They are so cute…and I’m so happy to have them here. The next time I see them, they’ll either have a little bundle of joy…or there will be very big expectations of a new addition (and then I’ll get some awesome maternity pics if that happens…hooray!) These are likely the last couple shots they’ll have before their little tyke enters the world. We only spent about 10 minutes taking them (because Wes and I were utterly freezing). And, darn that girl if she isn’t one of the most photogenic people I know.
This Christmas has been one of the busiest and merriest of my adult life (though it would be a whole lot merrier with Kevin around…dang it all). Since Thanksgiving, we have been going non stop. We spent a week and a half (from thanksgiving through the first weekend in December) at our friends’ house, watching their two adorable little girls, attending ballet performances and school nativity plays. It was a blast…and Wes felt for 10 days like he had siblings. Two days after Thanksgiving, Carol, my mother in law, flew in to be with us (this being alone thing really stinks for me…and I SO appreciated her visit…Carol, I love ya! Thanks a million for coming and just talking with me…and going to see Germany with me. It was wonderful. You made the first couple of weeks of December super merry and bright. I miss you already). And the day after my mother in law left…my brother’s wife came to visit. She’s the first of the family to arrive in England…followed by my brother tomorrow…my husband shortly after that sometime…and then my mom, dad and sister. It’s going to be jam packed with people, love and holiday spirit in our little English cottage this Christmas!
Today was particularly wonderful because it has been SNOWING for the last couple of hours. It’s been coming down off and on all day long…but around 6:30 pm tonight, it began snowing hard and it hasn’t stopped yet. Once we found out that youth was cancelled at church, we came home to enjoy all of the white stuff outside. We bundled up in our warmest coats, hats and mittens and had an awesome snowball fight (Wes is suprisingly good at making snowballs…and surprisingly accurate at throwing them…as my backside can attest to), slid up and down the street in our Wellies, and even made a snow angel. It’s such an odd occurence to have a heavy snowfall here in England. We’re savoring every minute of it. It really feels like Christmas tonight. We came in with red, frozen noses, coats dripping with melted snow, and we bundled up in blankets to get warm and watch “Miracle on 34th Street”. We’ve sipped hot cocoa and eaten hot chocolate chip cookies. For just a few hours, I’ve captured a little of the Christmas magic I felt as a kid…and it’s been the best Christmas present of the season so far.
With the onset of the winter months here, there’s little to do outside except jump in puddles (we did that yesterday before and after shopping…and yes, I did partcipate) and get muddy. Weslee has already begun to grow bored of the Community Center with its indoor play area. I found myself wishing that there were activities for young kids to do in the community other than go to day care or nursery school. And then, I really began to think (which is always dangerous and sometimes costly).
I thought of all of the things that Weslee is drawn to. Music tops the list. I bring a pencil to church not only for him to draw with while we listen to the speakers, but also so that he can wave it like a baton as if conducting a large choir, while we sing the hymns. We sing at a minimum of every night. We dance and clean to all different kinds of music. But lately, he’s really been drawn to instruments. Drums and guitars in particular. We play Rock Band a couple of times a week so that he can bang on the drumset and feel like he’s contributing to the music. He loves it, though he can only handle it for a couple of songs at a time. And every time he sees a guitar, you can see him ache to hold it an pluck at the strings. Kevin’s guitar is too big and bulky for even me to play with ease (I’m just a wimp like that, I guess) let alone Weslee. But, while wandering through the BX yesterday, I spotted this fully functional, child sized, six string acoustic guitar for $17.99. Seriously. How could I pass it up? Wes skipped happily beside the cart. “Eh-tar! Eh-tar! Eh-tar!”
When we got home, and after Weslee was asleep, I popped the box open to get the instrument ready. I tuned it (impressive, I’ve never tuned a guitar before…but there are some pretty helpful online sites for that) and learned a couple of easy one string songs like “Mary had a Little Lamb”, “Louie, Louie” and “More Pizza, Please!” (which is really Hot Cross Buns with some better words). When Wes woke, he played with it for a full hour before tiring. And this morning, it was the first thing he wanted to do when he woke up. We were blessed with a little sunshine today and I got these great pics of him rockin’ out on the living room floor…in his pajamas with Play Doh still smooshed into them from our fun last night before bed, hair sticking every which way, and not matching at all (because I was lazy last night and just put on the pajama pants). While he was rockin’, I made the “Rock Out” sign with my fingers. He tried to do the same, but ended up making the “Hang Loose” sign instead…one of his favorites. When he realized what he was doing, he was done with the guitar. “An Loose, Doo!” (Translation: Hang Loose, Dude). Uncle Scott, this is a kid after your own heart.
I have to say, this has been as fun for me as it has been for him. I can actually fit my fingers around the frets of this guitar and I’m learning chords and songs (because someone has to teach Wes how to play the guitar…right?). I might actually learn to play the guitar afterall.
by teri
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